Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-01-13
THE SPECTRAL IIoEeSEMAN.
a Weird Adventure Recorded by an Army
lieutenant.

Along the western bank OF the Mis-
souri, River, on the road leading be-
tween the military posts of Fort Abra-
ham Lincoln and Fort Yates. IS n phan-
tom which appears to certain travellers
whenever they make the trip over what
they are pleased to call the ''hoodooed
road" The route is one OF long stand
ing, having been established by the
Indians long before the whites invaded
the country, and now it IS IN important
Foad for travel.
The phantom which has appeared TO
several prominent citizens was last seen
by Lieut.. Brennan of Fort Yates. He
was en- route from Yates to this city, and
while driving along at a point neal the
Cannon Ball Station he saw 4 man
coming behind him on horseback. At
first he paid little attention to the OBJ
ject. The moon was shining brightly
and there was 10 reason for him TO be
mistaken in what he saw. After travel
ing about n mile with the horseman
keeping about n quarter of a mile be-
hind him, he stopped to await the ar
rival of the stranger that he might as
certain who it was that followed him,
and break the monotony of his trip with
the conversation of q travelling compan-
ion. Upon looking back he discovered
that the horseman was dressed in a
pure white uniform and vas riding a
spotiess white horse.
The elegant style, the graceful mo-
ton of the horse. and the noiseless step
with which the animal was g~alloping
Town the road, aroused the Lieutenant's
curiosity, and he waited and listened
several minutes for the arrival of the
stranger. His suspicion that every
thing was not right was awakened
when the horseman failed to answer
his call. Several times he called. but
no answer came from the white-robed
equestrian, and having given the silent
traveller ample time to oyertake him, he
drove on. What first occasioned alarm
in the Li~eutenant's mind was the fact
that while the strange white horse con-
tinued in a galloping motion after he
(he LieutenanD stopped. the distance
between them was not shortened.
Whistling a lively air and occasion.
ally breaking in with a CHEEKY army
song, to drive away the blues, the
Lieutenant drove on. frequently casting
his eyes over his shoulder to see if the
horseman was coming. and Away:
finding that his pursuer or follower was
keeping his distance with remarkable
accuracy. Wearying of this monoton.
GUS procedure, and wishing to gain :
good lead on the lulky fellow-trayelel
before he reached the loneliest spot in
the road, which he was nov approach
ing, he applied the whip and started
his speedy IA on the run. On ht
went at a furious rate for several miles
when, Just as he was descending thu
hill into Lonely Coulee, he looked lack
and there was the white horsemar
within 4 few rods Of him coming like
the wind. but with the noiseless grace
of a zephyr. The Lieutenant was nov
pretty thoroughly frightened, and hi
used the whip more yehemently thai
ever. Down the hill his army ambul
ance roarei and ratified. and his ami
mails took the bits for a genuine run
away. With crash and bound ant
fearful speed the ambulance wa
snatched down the hill, around sharl
curves, and over the rIckety bridg,
which SPAWNED the murmuring creek
Here the Lieutcnant's description of tn
scene was thrilling and poetic. The
moonlight on the ripping surface o
Inc CItth Slt
shapes, and as his nerves we're strun!
to the most sensitive pitch, the eye o
his imagination saw COLLINS and fairie:
and witches dancing about on tn
sparkling stream, whose every gurgl
was a hooking taunt from the strange
unwelc0me children of his feverisl
brain.
But here is where the climax of hi
-- I'D I-r.~. yrn- rnaaIaj m fh
pale horseman drove down the hill lik
Il meteor, and while the Lieutenant wa
crossing the bridge at as great a specs
as his spirited animals could attain, tn
ghostly phantom passed him. Now, fo
the first time, did the apparition max
a noise, but it made up for lost time
in this respect, as the Lieutenant say
that here the noise was deafcning. A
the phantom came down the hill afte
him it seemed that a thousand horse
were g~alloping down 4 wooden pave
ment, and when it struck the bridg
the uproar was like the rattle of a thou
sand wheels. On the center of tn
bridge the snowy horse and rider swep
by him like n flash, and the air wa
filled with shrill demoniac laughter
On it went, the dazed and awe-strickeI
Lieutenant watching it as it vanished
from view.
This is an experience of one Of tn
bravest officers at Fort Yates, and tn
same apparition appeared On this roa'
several years ago to Alexander McKinzie
sheriff of this county, and the mos
widely-known citizen Of the territory
In the case of Mr.. Mckenzie the exper
fence wal very different. as he reaches
his destination shortly after the appear
ance of the phantom. which was going i
an opposite direction, and which pas:
ed him neal the Cannon Ball.-Bit
mdrck Letter tn st. Louis Globe-Densc
crdk.
TWICE welded.